The Jazz, who had their 11-game win streak snapped last week, quickly bounced back and re-established their dominance. They outplayed the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks, and overpowered the Charlotte Hornets by unloading 138 points on them.
Donovan Mitchell remains the main attraction in Utah and his star power continues to grow. Now in his fourth year, he leads the Jazz in points with 23.3 per game. It’s a shade below his previous average of 24.0 points last season, but he expanded his range, making a career-high 3.5 3s on 8.4 attempts.
Mitchell’s proficiency from beyond the arc is not just a one-man show as the Jazz have taken up the mantle of being a 3-point juggernaut this season. The Jazz are leading the NBA in hoisting up shots from deep with 42.1 attempts per game. Their 3-point shooting (40.7 percent), meanwhile, is second in the league, next to the LA Clippers.
The Jazz are looking to extend their winning ways against a team that’s finding a rhythm of their own. The Pacers have lost back-to-back games and slid to a 12-11 record in the Eastern Conference. Nonetheless, they still have their eyes set on a playoff run.
Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis, Indiana’s dynamic duo, will have to bring their A-game against the league leaders. In their loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, Brogdon only had 13 points, which was way below his 22-point average. Sabonis had an even quieter game offensively, going 3-for-13 from the field for just eight points.
The two stars will have to find their mark to match their opponent’s firepower. Defensively, the likes of Jeremy Lamb, Doug McDermott, and brothers Justin and Aaron Holiday will have their hands full trying to defend the 3-point onslaught of the Jazz shooters.
